The Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney games have never been afraid to experiment, as shown by the brilliant crossover spinoff Professor Layton vs Phoenix Wright, but the series is going to get its biggest shake-up yet thanks to creator Shu Takumi.
Nintendo announced that Takumi was announced as working on a new Ace Attorney game back in February, and now the latest issue of Japanese games mag Famitsu has revealed what that game is. Dai Gyakuten Saiban, or The Great Ace Attorney, takes players back to Japan's Meiji period, between 1868 and 1912. There we'll play as Ryunosuke Naruhodo, Phoenix Wright's ancestor (Naruhodo is the character's original Japanese surname).
The magazine also reveals Ryunosuke dressed in the traditional school uniform of the era, suggesting a much younger hero than previous Ace Attorney games, and he also has a katana sword on his belt. "I'll become a lawyer... definitely!" reads the caption, hinting that we'll be helping him set the family line down its path to courtroom destiny.
Shu Takumi will be the game's director, with Shintaro Kojima of Capcom's Monster Hunter franchise producing. No other details are available yet, aside from the fact that The Great Ace Attorney is being developed for the Nintendo 3DS.